IBS/IBD sufferers...

[WilmaHun]

I suffer quite badly with IBS and am currently in the middle of the most horrendous flare up. I had to leave work yesterday as I couldn't cope with the pain, bloating and bowel movements. I currently take mebeverine as prescribed by my GP although am due to see her in a weeks time for a review as it doesn't seem to help.

Are there any fellow IBS/IBD sufferers? (I'm aware IBS and IBD are completely different, however some symptoms are very similar). How do you cope? Any tips for being able to manage the symptoms at work? Just wanting some reassurance from other people who suffer as sometimes it can feel like you're all alone! It's a difficult thing to talk to people about if they don't suffer, as often then just think "oh get on with it it's a bad belly ache!". In reality for me, it's so much more than that! My general symptoms are bloating, diarrhoea, cramps, sweating, heart racing, feeling completely fatigued. On top of that it causes the worst anxiety, obviously being anxious then doesn't help my stomach so it's a vicious circle! Following yesterday's flare up I am feeling incredibly anxious that it will happen again, I'm shakey, nervous, every grumble my stomach makes I panic. It's truly awful.

Personally, I can go months without a flare, but when I get one it completely knocks me for six! I know dairy sets me off, so I avoid that at all costs, alcohol too. I also know I'm bound to get a minor flare around my menstrual cycle. Anyone similar?

 

[LaurieLaurie]

I had horrific ibs but I cut out all dairy and wheat about 6 years ago and I’ve been ok since.

 

[chocolate choux]

I find that stress is the biggest trigger for me, and like you say it begins a vicious cycle when you then start getting anxiety about the IBS itself. Are you stressed/do you suffer from anxiety outside of the IBS? Personally I do and have found that working on this has helped. I found it hard to believe that a bad mental state could have such severe physical symptoms (even as someone clued up on mental health) but it’s undeniable since I noticed the correlation. Be sure to mention it at your review, your GP might point you towards some coping mechanisms or give you some anxiety medication to take during flare ups. Hope you feel better soon

 

[ChampagneBox]

I suffer quite badly with IBS and am currently in the middle of the most horrendous flare up. I had to leave work yesterday as I couldn't cope with the pain, bloating and bowel movements. I currently take mebeverine as prescribed by my GP although am due to see her in a weeks time for a review as it doesn't seem to help.

Are there any fellow IBS/IBD sufferers? (I'm aware IBS and IBD are completely different, however some symptoms are very similar). How do you cope? Any tips for being able to manage the symptoms at work? Just wanting some reassurance from other people who suffer as sometimes it can feel like you're all alone! It's a difficult thing to talk to people about if they don't suffer, as often then just think "oh get on with it it's a bad belly ache!". In reality for me, it's so much more than that! My general symptoms are bloating, diarrhoea, cramps, sweating, heart racing, feeling completely fatigued. On top of that it causes the worst anxiety, obviously being anxious then doesn't help my stomach so it's a vicious circle! Following yesterday's flare up I am feeling incredibly anxious that it will happen again, I'm shakey, nervous, every grumble my stomach makes I panic. It's truly awful.

Personally, I can go months without a flare, but when I get one it completely knocks me for six! I know dairy sets me off, so I avoid that at all costs, alcohol too. I also know I'm bound to get a minor flare around my menstrual cycle. Anyone similar?

Do you eat a lot of meat? I’ve found especially pork sets me off! My symptoms are better when I eat less meat x

 

[WilmaHun]

I find that stress is the biggest trigger for me, and like you say it begins a vicious cycle when you then start getting anxiety about the IBS itself. Are you stressed/do you suffer from anxiety outside of the IBS? Personally I do and have found that working on this has helped. I found it hard to believe that a bad mental state could have such severe physical symptoms (even as someone clued up on mental health) but it’s undeniable since I noticed the correlation. Be sure to mention it at your review, your GP might point you towards some coping mechanisms or give you some anxiety medication to take during flare ups. Hope you feel better soon

I am quite an anxious person overall so I think you're probably right that isn't helping. I'll definitely bring it up with my GP as hopefully she'll be able to help. She did once mention that anti-depressants can help with anxiety but I declined as I don't feel like I want to be on those! Hopefully there's something else she can suggest for me.

Do you eat a lot of meat? I’ve found especially pork sets me off! My symptoms are better when I eat less meat x

I don't eat any meat, only fish. I did find red meats were setting me off but then decided to cut meat out all together as to be honest it grosses me out when I find a vein in chicken or something haha!

 

[Scorpihoe]

I used to have awful IBS flare ups, in so much pain I couldn’t walk. They gave me everything under the sun from mebeverine to lansoprazole to buscopan etc. They used to think it was ‘abdominal migraines’ and then said IBS. My biggest trigger was stress definitely but it was just a vicious cycle.

I would get stressed, get a flare up, get stressed about my flare up and all the work I was missing at school/college, and then make myself more ill.

I’m 23 now and haven’t had a flare up in years, but I will never forget the horrendous pain I used to feel

 

[judgejohndeed]

I suffer quite badly with IBS and am currently in the middle of the most horrendous flare up. I had to leave work yesterday as I couldn't cope with the pain, bloating and bowel movements. I currently take mebeverine as prescribed by my GP although am due to see her in a weeks time for a review as it doesn't seem to help.

What have you tried so far? Mebeverine is just an antispasmodic so that will only help when some of your symptoms have already started (the cramps and diarrhoea) there are lots of things you can do to help before it gets to that stage.
Have you ever tried going low FODMAP? You’d be surprised what foods can trigger IBS - things you think are healthy like broccoli, onion, garlic are terrible triggers. I’d have a Google about it and see what you’re eating as unfortunately diet often plays a huge role in IBS. There is also CBT available that targets IBS specifically. Bad sleep and stress also play a part as well as caffeine.
Have you had any tests for IBD itself? Unfortunately there isn’t a diagnostic test for IBS, it’s a diagnosis by elimination of other things and doctors are very poor at it on the whole. Have you had a blood test for inflammatory markers and coeliac? Have you had a colonoscopy? I note you said this only happens every few months so it sounds more like IBS but the blood tests are easily done just in case.
If you’re really suffering and you’ve tried low FODMAP etc (and you do need to give it about 12 strict weeks - it takes a while to see a difference) I would go back to your doctor and get further tests.

 

[Lulu Goss]

I’ve never been diagnosed IBS, but I have had issues with my stomach for the past 3 years. I’ve been to the doctors multiple times now but have never really got anywhere, so I’m going to use my private medical insurance through work to get a specialist referral. I’m so fed up with it - I’ve tried monitoring food but haven’t been able to identify any particular triggers. I’ve tried following FODMAP but that didn’t make much difference. I know stress makes it worse, which is a vicious circle because if I’m stressed I worry about my stomach getting bad, which then stresses me out even more!

I get bad stomach cramps, diarrhoea, hot flushes and it can happen at any time. I’ve had a couple of horrible situations where I’ve been out (e.g at a club!) and it’s happened, which means now any time I’m going out for an extended period of time (nights out, brunches, parties, meals, round to someone’s house etc) I take Imodium beforehand. I know it’s not a solution in the long run but I feel like I just can’t relax and enjoy myself if I don’t

 

[Readread]

I suffered from 'IBS' for years with doctors just uninterested in investigating. When I moved to Dubai and made use of private medical care through my sponsor (employer) I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. The NHS just pan everyone off with having IBS.

If you're finding your symptoms difficult to manage consider the FODMAP diet.

 

[Kim Mild]

I've had bother with digestion since being a teenager. I went through a period of having diarrhoea a lot and the doctor suggested I eliminate dairy and see what happened, then re-introduce it and see if symptoms return. It did so I've been dairy free for about 20 years.

I kept getting bloated and bad wind and my insides would gurgle so gave up wheat and gluten. In hindsight, I wonder if this was due to stress .

 

[MrsJones83]

I had to work out what food set me off, and cut it out of my diet. For me it was dairy, caffeine, citrus and wheat.

It might sound a bit wacky (and I’m not at all hippy), but I was told that the diarrhoea gets rid of all the good bacteria from our bowels that we actually need, so to try drinking something like Yakult. I swear it helps me. I don’t drink it all the time, but if I’ve got a bad flare up or a tummy bug then I get some.

 

[pricef2]

Has anyone tried the Low FODMAP diet? I’m a new member (long time lurker) so can’t make a new thread yet but I think a Low FODMAP thread could be helpful for sharing advice, experiences and accidental Fodmap foods in supermarkets ?

 

[Countrybumpkingirl]

So I found mine is triggered by hormones so the best way mine is controlled is the mini pill but i take a double dose. I used to be on the depo injection but the week before due I had flare up and week after I was still bad. Now I barely have any problems. This is probably the longest I've gone (8 months) without any real flare ups. I tried every diet, medication etc around. Had endoscopy, colonoscopy, surgery etc and nothing. I'm coeliac so don't have gluten anyway, but even on low fodmap food I was still ill but now I can eat a normal diet and be fine. Might be worth those who have tried everything and still struggling looking into.

 

[under the ivy]

I think I have IBS - I’m lactose intolerant which doesn’t help but I still get the odd flare up. My GPs fob me off all the time. The other weekend I was really poorly with it

 

[Begborrowsteal]

Yeah I have IBS, its savage. The fear when your belly drops stress definitely makes mine worse. Certain foods set it off every single time (mash & mcdonalds!). I eat all the problem foods off the fodmap stuff lol

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

I’m lactose intolerant and I’ve been on the lactose free cheese, bread, margarine and milk for the last couple of years. I was on soya before that and if I try it again now, I get bloating.
Thought I’d treat myself to some halloumi 2 weeks ago my whole stomach bloated. Not just the lower stomach like usual and it took days to get back to normal. being stressed at work made an impact too.
does anyone know of any over the counter stuff you can buy to relieve the bloating? Moving about usually settles it, but I’m sat at desk all day.

 

[WilmaHun]

The last two weeks have been comfortable for me with no flares. I should be feeling happy but every day I wake up wondering if today will be the day it flares badly

 

[watchingyoutube99]

I was diagnosed with IBS but it turned out to be undiagnosed Celiac disease. I've been gluten free for 15 years but still having stomach issues including a big flare up at least once a month. I was vegetarian for a few years but went back to eating meat and my digestion improved a bit. All the vegetables and legumes/pulses did not agree with my stomach in the quantities I was eating them while vegetarian. The turning point of it all seems to be sorting out my anxiety and SAD. I was put on Wellbutrin and it's greatly improved my mental health but also my digestion. One of the side effects can be constipation so it seems to be firming everything up (sorry).

I’m lactose intolerant and I’ve been on the lactose free cheese, bread, margarine and milk for the last couple of years. I was on soya before that and if I try it again now, I get bloating.
Thought I’d treat myself to some halloumi 2 weeks ago my whole stomach bloated. Not just the lower stomach like usual and it took days to get back to normal. being stressed at work made an impact too.
does anyone know of any over the counter stuff you can buy to relieve the bloating? Moving about usually settles it, but I’m sat at desk all day.

Have you tried activated charcoal? My GI doctor recommended it years ago and I've kept a bottle on hand since then. Although you need to be careful with the timing of the activated charcoal capsules as they will absorb everything including previous medications if you've taken them close together. If you like hot drinks you could try peppermint or fennel tea.

 

[iloveanimals]

I find that colpermin is the best medication for me, and light exercise. I also drink loads of water every day.

 

[SqualorVictoria]

I had some really bad flare ups recently so I've started a course of Symprove. Started last Tuesday and I had another terrible flare up Friday (I had read that that's normal) but it seems to have improved since. Fingers crossed it will stay that way